Tunneling Assists the 1,2‐Hydrogen Shift in N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes

At room temperature, 1,2‐hydrogen‐transfer reactions of N‐heterocyclic carbenes, like the imidazol‐2‐ylidene to give imidazole is shown to occurr almost entirely (>90 %) by quantum mechanical tunneling (QMT). At 60 K in an Ar matrix, for the 2, 3‐dihydrothiazol‐2‐ylidene→thiazole transformation, QMT is shown to increase the rate about 10⁵ times. Calculations including small‐curvature tunneling show that the barrier for intermolecular 1,2‐hydrogen‐transfer reaction is small, and QMT leads to a reduced rate of the forward reaction because of nonclassical reflections even at room temperature. A small barrier also leads to smaller kinetic isotope effects because of efficient QMT by both H and D. QMT does not always lead to faster reactions or larger KIE values, particularly when the barrier is small.     

Quality Related Safety Evaluation of a South African Traditional Formulation (PHELA®) as Novel Anti-Biofilm Candidate

A South African traditional formulation, PHELA^®, is consumed by the traditional people for severe chest problems with coughing, diarrhea, oral ulcers etc. The present study focused on establishing the anti-infective properties of a safe and standardized poly-herbal formulation through a series of criteria and specifications.     

Kinetic study of the interaction of three glycine‐containing dipeptides with diaquaethylenediamineplatinum(II) in aqueous medium

The kinetics of the interaction of three glycine‐containing dipeptides, namely, glycine‐L‐leucine (Gly‐Leu), glycine‐L‐isoleucine (Gly‐Ile), and glycine‐valine (Gly‐Val) with [Pt(en)(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂ has been studied spectrophotometrically as a function of [substrate complex], [dipeptides] and temperature at a particular pH(4.0), where the substrate complex exists predominantly as the diaqua species and the dipeptides as a zwitterion. The substitution reaction shows two consecutive steps; the first is the ligand‐assisted anation and the second is the chelation step. The activation parameters for both the steps were evaluated using Eyring's equation. The low ΔH₁^≠ and large negative value of ΔS₁^≠ as well as ΔH₂^≠ and ΔS₂^≠ indicate an associative mode of activation for both the aqua ligand substitution processes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 43: 498–506, 2011     

Application of inertia-induced excitation theory for nonlinear acoustic modes in colloidal plasma equilibrium flow

Application of inertia-induced acoustic excitation theory offers a new resonant excitation source channel of acoustic turbulence in the transonic domain of plasma flow. In bi-ion plasmas like colloidal plasma, two well-defined transonic points exist corresponding to the parent ion and the dust grain-associated acoustic modes. As usual, the modified ion acoustic mode (also known as dust ion-acoustic (DIA) wave) dynamics associated with parent ion inertia is excitable for both nanoscale-and micronscale-sized dust grains. It is found that the so-called (ion) acoustic mode (also known as dust-acoustic (DA) wave) associated with nanoscale dust grain inertia is indeed resonantly excitable through the active role of weak but finite parent ion inertia. It is interestingly conjectured that the same excitation physics, as in the case of normal plasma sound mode, operates through the active inertial role of plasma thermal species. Details of the nonlinear acoustic mode analyses of current interest in transonic domains of such impure plasmas in hydrodynamic flow are presented.      

Cascade synthesis of selective dihydro pyridazino fused acridinone derivatives via MCM-41 catalyzed ring-opening/ring-closure reaction

An enhanced one-pot synthesis of new functionalized 5,6-dihydro-5,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2H-pyridazino[3,4,5-kl]acridin-1(4H)-one derivatives with different substituted patterns by using mesoporous MCM-41 catalyst via a ring opening/ring closure reaction process has been established. This MCM-41 silica catalyst has been synthesized and characterized using an array of sophisticated analytical techniques like BET, XRD, UHRTEM, etc. This reaction could be conducted from inexpensive substrates within short period under neat reflux conditions. Compared with the usual methods, the remarkable advantages of this method are milder reaction conditions, operational simplicity, higher yields, short reaction times and an environmentally friendly procedure.     

Hexanuclear copper(II) cage with {Cu3O···H···OCu3} core supported by a dicompartmental oxime ligand with m-xylyl spacer: synthesis, molecular structure and magnetic studies

A new dicompartmental dioxime ligand (H(2)L) with m-xylyl spacer between the donor sites has been synthesised by Schiff-base condensation of α,α'-diamino-m-xylene and diacetyl monooxime. The ligand reacts with copper(ii) salts giving rise to hexanuclear tricationic copper(II) cage complexes [Cu(II)(6)(μ(3)-O···H···O-μ(3))L(3)(H(2)O)(6)]X(3) (X = BF(4), 1a; X = ClO(4), 1b). The complexes have been characterised by different analytical and spectroscopic techniques and confirmed the hexanuclear structure even in solution. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies of both the complexes revealed a very similar core structure with three dicompartmental ligands supporting two triangular Cu(3)O cores that share a proton, located on their common threefold axis and involved in a strong hydrogen bond interaction (O···O distance of 2.517(2) ?). Two Cu(3)O units do not superimpose but are staggered and disposed with the formation of a helicate structure. However both the enantiomers are present in the centrosymmetric space group. The facing Cu(3)-planes in 1a are separated at a distance of 3.476 ?. The temperature dependence of the magnetic behaviour of the hexanuclear complex 1a clearly indicates an overall antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between the spin carriers in the cage having two Cu(3)O subunits and leaves a single unpaired electron in each triangular unit. The unpaired electrons in the two Cu(3)O units interact antiferromagnetically through hydrogen bonding giving rise to an overall singlet-spin ground state.     

Optical and dielectric properties of isothermally crystallized nano-KNbO3 in Er3+-doped K2O–Nb2O5–SiO2 glasses

Precursor glass of composition 25K₂O–25Nb₂O₅–50SiO₂ (mol%) doped with Er₂O₃ (0.5 wt% in excess) was isothermally crystallized at 800 °C for 0–100 h to obtain transparent KNbO₃ nanostructured glass–ceramics. XRD, FESEM, TEM, FTIRRS, dielectric constant, refractive index, absorption and fluorescence measurements were carried out to analyze the morphology, dielectric, structure and optical properties of the glass–ceramics. The crystallite size of KNbO₃ estimated from XRD and TEM is found to vary in the range 7–23 nm. A steep rise in the dielectric constant of glass–ceramics with heat-treatment time reveals the formation of ferroelectric nanocrystalline KNbO₃ phase. The measured visible photoluminescence spectra have exhibited green emission transitions of ²H_11/2, ⁴S_3/2 → ⁴I_15/2 upon excitation at 377 nm (⁴I_15/2 → ⁴G_11/2) absorption band of Er³⁺ ions. The near infrared (NIR) emission transition ⁴I_13/2 → ⁴I_15/2 is detected around 1550 nm on excitation at 980 nm (⁴I_15/2 → ⁴I_11/2) of absorption bands of Er³⁺ ions. It is observed that photoluminescent intensity at 526 nm (²H_11/2 → ⁴I_15/2), 550 nm (⁴S_3/2 → ⁴I_15/2) and 1550 nm (⁴I_13/2 → ⁴I_15/2) initially decrease and then gradually increase with increase in heat-treatment time. The measured lifetime (τ_f) of the ⁴I_13/2 → ⁴I_15/2 transition also possesses a similar trend. The measured absorption and fluorescence spectra reveal that the Er³⁺ ions gradually enter into the KNbO₃ nanocrystals.     

N–H···π Interactions in Two Isomers of an Amino Group Containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">bis</Emphasis>-Phenol

Abstract  

Crystal structures of two bis-phenols namely bis-(3,5-dimethyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)(3-amino phenyl)methane 1 and bis-(3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)(3-aminophenyl) methane 2 are determined. The compound 1 crystallises in monoclinic P2₁/c with a = 12.2579(16) ?, b = 16.0906(19) ?, c = 10.6664(13) ?, β = 115.417(7)°, V = 1900.2(4) ?³ whereas 2 crystallizes in monoclinic C2/c, a = 9.2538(2) ?, b = 18.6579(4) ?, c = 23.2725(5) ?, β = 98.796(2)°, V = 3970.89(15) ?³. The crystal lattice of both the compounds shows presence of N–H···π interactions but no O–H···π interactions.     

Synthesis of nanocrystalline and mesoporous zinc sulphide from a single precursor Zn(SOCCH3)2Lut2 complex

We report the formation of mesoporous zinc sulphide, composed by the fine network of nanoparticles, which was formed via a single precursor Zn(SOCCH₃)₂Lut₂ complex. The complex was chemically synthesized using zinc carbonate basic, 3,5-lutidine and thioacetic acid, in air. The metal precursor complex was characterized using different conventional techniques. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) result indicates that the decomposition of the complex starts at 100 °C and continues up to 450 °C, finally yielding ZnS. ZnS nanocrystals were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), N₂-sorption isotherm, UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The grain diameter of nanocrystals was found to be 4-5 nm. The material followed Type-IV N₂-sorption isotherm, which is the characteristic of mesoporous materials. The band gap energy, as obtained from optical measurements was around 3.8 eV.